ACCESSORIES
Bazaar
AMRAPALI JEWELSRabari people of Gujarat, with their perfect form and
proportions, simple, geometric lines, and modern appeal. The
duo, who met in college, started working together in 1978,
freshly armed with graduate degrees in ancient Indian history.
They began their business as travelling merchants, sourcing
unique items often made by award-winning artisans in and
around Jaipur, and selling them in Delhi and Agra.
Fuelled by a deep passion for their work, and with help from
their eager clients in government emporia and cottage
industries, who consistently bought from them and offered new
ideas, their portfolio increased rather rapidly to include items
in wood, sandalwood, and ivory. By 1981, Arora and Ajmera had
enough funds to open a store in Delhi’s Chameliwala Market.
They named it Amrapali after a royal courtesan from ancient
India, whose beauty was famed far and wide. Renouncing her
life as a dancer and surrendering herself to serving the poor and
the needy, Amrapali was the first female disciple in Lord Buddha’s
sect. An icon of beauty, ability, and character, they always wanted
to name their business after her.
It was around that time that many of their textile suppliers,
who travelled from the interiors of the country, started bringing
bits and pieces of tribal silver jewellery. Arora and Ajmera
bought these fragmented pieces and restrung it themselves on
ordinary silver wires, fashioning them into earrings, pendants,
or other designs. The store was a big hit, as the jewellery
attracted a loyal clientele from the diplomatic enclave, as well as
leading movie stars of the time like Dimple Kapadia, Reena
Roy, and Kirron Kher.
Arora and Ajmera look delighted as they trace their journey
from those adventurous days, when they would spend a couple
of days every week driving around the country in Arora’s trusty
Maruti 800, much like the backpacking hippies who were their
early clients. Scouring the length and breadth of the nation,
often passing by gold refineries to intercept villagers who were
on their way to melt their gold ornaments for money, they
began building an incredible archive, laying the foundation for
Amrapali Museum.
Decades later, the bright-eyed pair remain partners in business
and intention, completing each other’s sentences and sharing
an incredible camaraderie. The museum’s collection will remain
dynamic, as they continue to find interesting pieces to add to it.
Guided by the philosophy of “learning, earning, and returning”,
they are set to open a design school in Jaipur by the end of this
year based on the interactive and ancient gurukul model,
bringing their signature passion and hard work to the project.
Arora and Ajmera are focused on their goal of making it the
best design school in the country within the next five years.■
By Arundhati De-Sheth(From top) Gun powder flask from Gujarat; accessories for the
preparation of a betel leaf; dastband almas (gold anklet) from
Hyderabad; thuria (earplugs) from Assam.